6 Classic Books For Successful People

2- The Art of War - Sun Tzu The oldest military treatise in the world is still astonishingly relevant today. Hidden within its clear descriptions of armed strategy are lessons that can be applied to any area of life. Sun Tzu wrote that the key to success is not in fighting but in acquiring an advantage over one's opponents, be it through resourcefulness, cunning, flexibility, integrity, secrecy, positioning, surprise, or deception. Since his time, millions have successfully applied Sun Tzu's ideas to their own lives. It's even been reported that this book is mandatory reading in many boardrooms, military academies, professional locker rooms, and CIA training facilities.

What it teaches us: Sun Tzu said the most important factor to consider is the cost of competition. Rather than building large armies and engaging in direct, long battles, one should keep their investments small and their contests quick. Furthermore, the best way to defeat a competitor is not to attack him, but rather to focus on an area that he must defend.

Quote: "Those skilled at making the enemy move do so by creating a situation to which he must conform; they entice him with something he is certain to take, and with lures of ostensible profit they await him in strength."

3- How To Win Friends And Influence People - Dale Carnegie Written in the late '30s, the principles in this book have stood the test of time. Carnegie, a master of human nature, knew exactly how to peer into a person's ego and stroke it just right to sway them to his cause. He argues that success is only 15% professional knowledge; the remaining 85% is the ability to assume leadership and arouse enthusiasm in others. In order to influence others without inspiring resentment or feelings of manipulation, one must see things through the eyes of others.

What it teaches us: You can make others like you by showing genuine interest, talking about their likes and repeating their names constantly. You can better persuade a person by making him think an idea was his while being sympathetic to his desires. The best leaders encourage with honest praise and address mistakes indirectly.

Quote: "When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity."

4- On War - Karl (Carl) von Clausewitz Karl Von Clausewitz was an influential Prussian strategist who wrote that war is simply a means to a political end — it's a normal part of a grander policy and should be conducted in the most destructive manner possible. No surprise, then, that Clausewitz has been blamed for the increased brutality of modern warfare. His ideas still influence strategic thinking, simply because the search for military victory is not unlike the pursuit of success in other arenas.

What it teaches us: While war is the preferred and most effective means of achieving a goal, it should be a last resort. Though politicians start a war, it is the generals who must end it (think of CEOs and COOs as their civilian equivalents). Most startlingly, it is not the attacking nation that wants war, but the defending one. The attacking nation is happy to just annex the other.

Quote: "If the leader is filled with high ambition and if he pursues his aims with audacity and strength of will, he will reach them in spite of all obstacles."